DENVER — In a matchup of the conference’s top defense against the second-leading offense, the defense won in a landslide.

East Lincoln held previously unbeaten Maiden to a season-low 131 yards during a 42-0 blowout Friday that gave East Lincoln a share of the Southern District 7 Athletic 2A Conference championship.

“Our coaching staff defensively has done a good job for quite a few years and again this year and of course again tonight,” East Lincoln coach Mike Byus said after Friday’s win. “They put together a good plan for our kids every week. I’m just proud of our staff and then they get our kids ready to play every week.”

The shutout marked East Lincoln’s first of the season, but the Mustangs have held five other opponents to single digits on the scoreboard. The defense has tightened down since a 55-26 win against Bandys, surrendering a combined 33 points to its five opponents since then.

“Our kids play good team defense,” Byus said. “They fit where they’re supposed to fit. There’s not anybody over there just overpowering anybody. They just fit where they’re supposed to.”

On Friday, Damarius Valentine returned an interception for touchdown and recorded the Mustangs’ lone sack. Sam Krehnbrink also intercepted a pass as part of a night on which the Mustangs forced two turnovers and seven punts.

“Everybody just had to do what they were supposed to do,” linebacker Billy Misenheimer said. “We got a good game plan together, so we just worked on that. We had a lot confidence going into the game.”

East Lincoln’s SD7-leading offense also shined with 311 yards and five touchdowns. Chazz Surratt rushed for four of those TDs and threw a 59-yard pass to Chris Tomberlin for the other.

The Mustangs (6-4, 6-0) can wrap up an undefeated run through the SD7 with a win at West Lincoln next week.

Raiders’ Bray assisted off field: South Point standout Tyler Bray was assisted off the field twice late in the first half of Friday’s 48-10 victory over North Gaston and didn’t play in the second half.

Is this reason for concern for Red Raiders’ fans?

Not if you ask South Point coach Mickey Lineberger.

“He just had a charley horse,” Lineberger said. “He could’ve gone if we had to have him.”

Bray’s 77 yards rushing and one touchdown increased his county-record rushing total to 5,297 career yards and moved him into third place in county history in scoring with 516 points.

North Gaston’s Princeton Brooks remains the county leader with 554 points from 2004 to 2007, with South Point’s Aaron Crumbley second with 538 points from 2009 to 2011. — Richard Walker

Near-record passing: North Gaston’s explosive offense has been almost exclusive through rushing yards this season — until Friday night.

And Alex Patton, the son of the head coach, responded with a 274-yard passing effort that is second in school history — or behind only Justin Clark’s 301-yard effort against Burns in 2001.

“Our plan was to come in, spread them out and throw it,” Mike Patton said. “With our injuries and different personnel, I wasn’t sure we’d be able to compete with them up front.”

Alex Patton’s 274 passing yards represented more than half of the 445 yards North Gaston had passed for in its previous nine games. — R.W.

Playoffs likely: North Gaston’s 5-5 overall record means it’s likely to make the postseason for the first time since 2007.

But Mike Patton wants to close out the regular season with a home victory over Lake Norman Charter next week to finish with a winning record as well as ensure a playoff berth and probably a higher postseason seeding.

“There’s a lot of five-win teams that get in,” Patton said. “But we want to finish with a win, get to six wins and make sure we get into the playoffs.

“We just want to get in and we’ll play anybody anywhere.”

North Gaston’s last playoff game was in the 2007 N.C. 3A championship game loss to Western Alamance at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan Stadium. — R.W.

Monday night football: unter Huss (3-6, 2-2) looks to snap a five-game losing streak to Forestview (6-3, 2-2) when those two meet Monday at Forestview in a Big South 2A/3A Conference game rescheduled from Friday due to wet conditions. Forestview leads the series 12-3 after winning 23-0 at Hunter Huss last season.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

In Monday’s other area football game, Bessemer City (5-4, 3-0) visits Highland Tech (1-8, 1-2) at 7 p.m. with a chance to clinch the Southern Piedmont 1A Conference title. Bessemer City leads that series 9-0, including a 44-6 non-conference win earlier this season.— P.G.